Breathe Again
by Moonlit917
Summary: AU!  OCs!  Side-story from the RM series.  Kankuro and mori never exactly had a normal lovelife, and these moments only highlight that fact.
1. Waterproof Makeup

**So, this is my first Mori/Kankuro one shot. I'll probably post somewhere between three and five. They'll outline major events in their relationship mainly. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, refer to my RM series. Also, these are not in chronological order. So if you don't want spoilers for the RM series, watch out. This one will be from Mori's POV. I'm not quite sure if I want all of them to be this way, so… Enjoy lovelies.**

My hands were shaking. My breath was uneven. My heart was beating rapidly.

These were all signs of some horrible disease I was diagnosed with long, long ago. However, it didn't seem like it was a long enough time all of a sudden. I wanted to go back to the very first day when I heard the news and my heart stopped.

Love was some kind of monster.

It toyed with you, making you happy and fluttery and perfect. Everything was fine, even if a tornado was tearing your roof off while your mom announced she was moving you to the depths of Hell because rent was cheaper. Then, when you least expected it, you became some kind of intensely jumbled ball of nerves. Even if you were just sitting next to the person you love, it freaked you out majorly for no apparent reason.

Maybe that was just me.

Oh, what the hell.

What should I do? I pleaded for Aya to hurry up and help me. I'd never even been to a wedding before last year, and now here I am…getting married myself. Sure, I'm young. Sure, I'm irresponsible. Sure, I sincerely need to finish my damn college Algebra homework.

But I'm in love.

And what do people do when they're in love?

Stupid things.

So I'm getting married today. It wasn't a mistake; it wasn't exactly too soon; I certainly wasn't forced into this. So why the hell did a random tsunami of nervousness explode over my head just now? Who knows.

Aya entered the room with a shaky smile. I tried to return it. She was finally out of her ridiculous pajamas and into her Maid of Honor dress. She didn't love dresses, but it was my day so she went with it pretty easily.

I'd already slipped on my dress. All we had to do now was lace it up, put on my shoes, and go. Briefly, I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment of peace. I could do this. It's not hard to walk. I'd been doing it for an awfully long time, now. Shaky breaths escaped me as Aya fastened my heels. Almost there. No crying, Mori.

Aya set out before me, timing her steps to the music after she gave me a hug and a whispered, "Good luck, Mori-san."

I followed, meeting Akio and lacing our arms. I could still here my mom crying, my friends murmuring about whatnots, and the piano. But I didn't recognize them. The moment I saw Kankuro, it vanished.

He wasn't the most romantic or the best boyfriend in the world. He was mine though. With all his flaws and his goofs and that make-up phase he apparently went through, he was perfect. The smile that spread over my face matched and demolished any other happy look I'd ever worn. I knew, in this tiny little moment of my entire life, that everything would be okay if we were together. We fought to be here today.

_And this miniscule second showed me exactly why._

The ceremony went by faster than I expected. As we shared our kiss, I couldn't help but smile. It didn't deserve a description for how amazing it was.

When we pulled apart, it seemed the crowd roared with tear-dry throats and thundering claps. Most of it came from our friends and his siblings, respectively. I couldn't stop smiling. Or crying.

Thank the stars for waterproof makeup.


	2. Prius

**Here's another K/M vignette, as I've decided to call them. ^-^ This one is dedicated to Katarina Wolffe, because she's amazing.**

The first time I found out I was pregnant, Aya was the only one with me. Kankuro was off at work, and everyone was respectively, well…not there.

Staring at the little home test – the proof – freaked me out more than actually knowing. After seeing it, all I could do was wordlessly walk to the kitchen and hand it to Aya. In my daze, pretty much the only thing I noticed was that she wore a baggy WTK shirt and was drinking hot chocolate. In August. In Suna.

I never did completely understand her. But whatever.

She took one look at the results. Then she took another, which lasted for about three minutes and thirty-four seconds. Not that I counted, of course. That's absurd. Who counts something like that anyways?

According to the little test she stared at for that period of time, which may or may not be correct, I would have a baby in about seven and a half months.

I really didn't know how to handle this. I mean, who doesn't love babies? They're cute and sweet and everything a girl wants. But they also mean late nights and crying, diapers and frustration and infamous pain. Was I even ready for a baby? Akio had a baby, and she was a lovely, adorable child. I'd heard her fuss and seen her eat messily. That was just a part of children. Could I handle a child? A baby boy with my eyes and Kankuro's facial structure and hair. Or maybe a baby girl… We would have to buy so many things, make the house child-safe, cut back on work, pick names, and find a good doctor… With the way Aya was smiling at me and gushing congratulations, and the way Misa gazed at her baby girl, I thought maybe I could.

I could be a mom. Or Mommy. Momma, Mama, Mother. No, Mother was too formal and Mama sounded odd.

I could be a Momma.

And Kankuro, he could be a dad. A Daddy for a few good years.

We could be a family. My hand traveled to my stomach, which had not yet swollen. We could be a happy family, not broken or beaten. Everyone would have equal love and attention; we could do normal family things like picnics and the theatre to see cute little shows. There wouldn't be a single parent or an addict or any unhappiness because of something we could prevent. It would be different from my family – loving but broken and not very close – and Kitty's family – business-like and cold – and Aya-chan's family – severed, without much affection. We could be happy. I wouldn't mind that.

"Mori-san, do you want me to call Kankuro?"

With a grin, I shook my head. "I'll tell him tonight, as a big surprise. Over dinner, but I'll say it casually. Do you think he'll be okay with it?"

"Of course! He'll be so excited! I would love to see him spit out his wine or something when you say it." She giggled, and stood to hug me. I'd grown just a tad over the years, but my formidable heels – which would have to go in a few months – made me an inch or two taller than Aya. "Kitty loves you and he loves babies. You know how he acts around Moki. You're going to be a great mom and he'll be the obsessive, over-protective dad. I know it will all work out."

She was so sure, so happy, and it made me grin. This was my best friend. This was the girl that helped me through thick and thin, and vice versa.

"Aya-chan, I always knew there was a reason I come to you for advice. Sometimes, you don't even relate my problems to crazy stories or pancakes." Sometimes, but mostly not. After all, it just wouldn't do to have a normal conversation half of the time. What fun would that be?

"Well, if you wanted a crazy story about pancakes, all you had to do was say Prius!"

I could only laugh.

My baby, this tiny child Kankuro and I would bring into this crazy world, would be a part of this. Aunt Aya's crazy stories and Uncle Kane's endless jokes. Cousin Moki's puppy eyes, even Aunt Temari's inability to boil water correctly. My baby would hear too many Hn's and laughs to count. Yeah, everything could work out.

If I could deal with the cravings and mood swings, that is._ [Read, If Kankuro could survive this, that is.]_


End file.
